Destiny's Pathway
by MoongirlDimandeFan
Summary: Based off "A Twist of Two Fates" by MidnightAngelWings21. This is what I thought of while reading Kagome's trials. We make choices every day and one way or another they effect others. Sometimes we know, but often we don't.
1. Births

Kami sat on his throne as he looked upon the Earth he had skillfully formed out of nothing. He had set it in place not too far from the sun as with some. It was not too close either as a couple were. Then he looked ahead in time and knew the tale he would write. The tale of two and two brought together. Twins with two who were not and yet, were.

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October the tenth dawned bright and fair though autumn's chill was present.

In the village Hidden in the Leaves, the village leader sat hard at work behind his desk. Not far from him was his lovely red-haired wife. She was great with child. Alas! Neither knew of the pain in store for the child to be born to them. They knew not that the child would be orphaned minutes after birth or that she would be hated by all. They could not imagine that their child would be betrayed by those who were supposed to be her friends. Instead, they trusted that their people would do right by the child if needed.

The leader's wife began to labor at noon and then an hour after dusk, the cry of a healthy baby girl was heard.

That very instant a boy of four rose from his little bed. Walking to the balcony, he looked up into the serene night sky and whispered, "I feel you, mate. I know you live. One day we will meet. Then we will mate for you are the missing half of my soul."

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The sixteenth of April began peacefully. The third hour of the morning found Nodoka Higurashi holding her newborn baby girl. Her eyes lit with joy and a smile stretching her mouth, she whispered, " Hello, my child. My daughter. , Kagome."

At that same instant, a boy of six lifted his eyes to the sky. Though they were miles and years apart, he knew his soul mate was born. He silently determined to be strong when she was at last brought to him.


	2. Kagome

Timeskip

Back on Earth, the other side of the well was also housed at a shrine. Here lived the Higurashi family. For many generations, they had guarded it. The current living members were: Grandfather Higurashi, his daughter and her two children, Kagome and Souta.  
This day was Kagome's 15th birthday. It was also the day that she would begin traveling through the well.  
It all started about 3 that afternoon. Kagome was looking for Souta to come have the cake and icecream. She knew he was on the grounds somewhere. He had gone looking for her cat, Boyou. She found them looking down at the sealed well. She stood beside her brother.  
It was not hard to see why this well would be facisnating. I say that because the well had been sealed shut with two sutras. They had never known why it was sealed. Sure there were old stories about it being a link to a place where demons and humans lived together with constant fighting between the two, but they counted those as tall tales.  
At length, Kagome said, "Come on, Souta. Time for cake and icecream." She turned to go first and suddenly stopped. Slowly,  
she went closer to the well. She thought she saw a light coming from it. Then deciding it was nothing but a trick of light,  
she turned again to go into the house. Then it happened. The sealed welltop exploded and something leapt from it. Grabbing Kagome, it pulled her back down the well.

Kagome was spun around to find herself faceing a centipede with the face, upper body, and arms of a beautiful woman. The young girl also realized then that the two of them were floating in a starry twilight blue light. She hung there and the woman faced her. She was even more surprised when the woman demanded the Shikon jewel which was then torn from her right hip in a bite. However, Kagome herself caught it and then she emerged on the other side of the well.

A day later, she shot an arrow at a crow demon and killed it, after accidently shattering the jewel.

Now Kagome must travel through this other world with the hanyou dog demon, Inuyasha as her protector as they strive to gather the jewel shards before evil can do so. 


	3. Sayuri

That same day, another young woman's life took a new direction.  
In the ninja era of Japan, a young woman sat drawing in nature energy. She was sitting still. Opening her eyes, she flipped herself to the ground. She landed in a battle ready stance, a kunai suddenly in hand. She was a unique young woman, but few ever saw this.  
To most this maiden was a danger. They still held the untimely death of their Yondaime Hokage against her. They still sought to take her life, thinking this would honor the great Minato Namikaze. These were the common villagers and the extremely embittered shinobi.  
Some wanted her under their control. This was due to the fact that the Yondaime had died after sealing the Kyuubi no Kitsune into her on the night of her birth. The same night as his child's birth. A child that sadly had not made it.

Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju sat behind her desk. She was thinking of her old teammate, Jiraiya. He had been killed on a mission less than a month ago. She had not wanted him to go, but Jiraiya being Jiraiya had insisted. Now he was dead and his student was among the toad summons, learning the art of Senjutsu. Leaning back, Tsunade closed her eyes, intending to enjoy a few moments resting her eyes in peace.  
In the next second, an explosion was heard and the peace became complete chaos.  
One of the some that wanted control of the maiden training away from the village grinned as he thought over his plans for her. 'The Kyuubi jinchuriki will arrive too late. She may kill the invaders, but our beloved hokage will die. One way or another, today she will meet her end. The villagers will demand the jinchuriki's death. Instead, she will be exiled. If she returns, she will die. Root will be sent after her and we will fake her death. Then her real training will begin. Sarutobi, you were a fool. The jinchuriki should have been made a weapon as soon as she was old enough to enter academy.  
You had to refuse me. With some lie that this girl was the Yondaime's child. You were pathetic. Sensei never should have entrusted the village to you. However, I will become Rukodaime Hokage and we will have the girl as our ultimate weapon.'

After the village had been turned to rubble, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki arrived. She was in time to keep the invader from outright killing Lady Tsunade. She said, "Granny Tsunade, you should not dirty your hands. I will deal with this trash. Gamakichi."  
A large orange toad with a purple stripe over both eyes, around his mouth and on his stomach leapt to land behind the young woman. He listened as she told him, "Take Lady Tsunade off the field. Then stay away yourself." He did not like this last part but would obey it. As he lifted the Hokage off the ground, she handed a mini clone of her summons to old sage, Lord Fukasaku. "Take Katsuyu. She can help you."  
The maiden nodded and her toad mentor brought the small clone to the pocket of the black-flame trimmed green haori she now wore. It was short of sleeve and went down to her calf. "Katsue."  
"You have grown, young one," commented the slug.  
"Tell me what you know."

Three hours later, the victorious jinchuriki returned. She was not greeted. This she did not expect. She was slowly making her way to the cabin in which she lived. She did not make it there for anbu grabbed her. She was taken to face the council. She stood tall and straight.  
As one, the three elderly councillors stiffened. They hated this female. She did not fear them. Her eyes looked too deeply. She saw too much.'That blasted will of fire. Of all people, it shines brightest in her. Why her?' They would never admit this, but they hated her because she reminded them of the Yondaime and the second jinchuriki.  
Danzou stood. "You arrived too late. The Hokage is dead. What do you have to say?"  
"Granny Tsunade was just fine when last I saw her. I was late because the messenger frog we left with her was killed. Its name was erased from the registry. Granny Shima summoned us here as soon as she could. Lady Hokage was a fine leader."  
One of the anbu backhanded her. "You traitor. How dare you. It's your fault she's dead."  
"Is that truly what you believe,. . Sensei?"  
Danzou growled. Then he realized she had heard him. Standing, he said, "You are exiled. Leave this village. You will take nothing. If you ever return here, we will kill you. Escort her to the border."  
"Danzou Shimura, this is not finis. I will return one day. The truth will win out," said the saddened young woman.  
The anbu dragged her outside the gates then. One of them kicked her a ways from them. "Run,"  
The young woman forced herself to run. The kick had fractured her hip. She started out slowly, but then was forced to go faster for the anbu and her teammates began to chase her. She ran on despite the rain of attacks against her. She reached the edge of a cliff and was dragged from the edge by her long red hair. They jerked on it and she landed on her back. A kunai was stabbed into her palms, her wrists, her knees and her ankles. They laughed and thought her helpless.  
Suddenly, the sky overhead opened up. The Kyuubi's chakra seeped forth and the wind tore the knives from her.  
The chakra used to harm her was mixed with Kyuubi's and she vanished in a flash of light.

Later she would come to and find her wounds tended to. She would learn that the young woman she oft dreamed of was real and 'twas her rescuer. Then she would rescue her and together they would be the fulfillment of a revealing that had all but been forgotten.  



	4. Finding

Later and elsewhere

A young woman running.  
The dreamer was unaware that she whimpered as she nestled deeper into her sleeping bag. She was dreaming of that stranger again. As a child herself, she had dreamed off and on about a female that grew as she grew. The sleeper was 15 year old Kagome Higurashi. She, until now, had lived the life of a normal girl in Tokyo, Japan of the twentieth century. Now she was sleeping in a warm sleeping bag beneath the starry night sky of Feudal Japan. As the dream continued, the newly discovered miko felt unknown terror rise within her own breast as she watched the one in the dream stumble, rise, run,  
stumble and rise only to be jerked back. She jerked up screaming as her wrists and ankles suddenly felt like they were being stabbed with sharp knives.

The next day Kagome and her silver dog-eared protector were heading away from a village when a landslide occurred. They avoided getting hurt by it. When the dust settled, they saw a badly wounded young woman lying in the middle of the dirt road. Kagome looked up at her protector and then back at the woman. She must have made a move for Inuyasha put his arm in front of her and said, "Wait here."  
Inuyasha moved forward. He sniffed the air. The scent of mud-caked blood, human and youkai reached his sensitive nose. He backed away. He was not about to let her near this stranger. He stopped when she moved to go past him and grabbing her arm, he kept her from going forward.  
Kagome looked at the hand holding her back and then up into the face of her protector. Her sapphire eyes gazed back into his amber orbs. A silent question in them.  
Inuyasha shook his head. "You must not go any closer. She is dangerous."  
Kagome nodded and then pulled back. She then spun on her heel and went to the young woman's other side. She had caught a glimpse of her face. Up close now, she whispered, "You are real. You aren't a dream. Somehow I must help you."  
Impatient and not happy with what this female had done, Inuyasha demanded, "What are ya talking about, wench?"  
Looking up then, Kagome recounted her dream of the previous night. She was crying at its end. Wiping her face, she said to him, "We must get her to Kaede. At the very least."  
"Feh. If you will stop crying, sure. Then we are going. I want to get that jewel together as fast as we can."  
Nodding, Kagome stood and moved back. She watched Inuyasha lift the stranger to his shoulder. Then they ran together back to Kaede's. They left the young woman in her care.


	5. Tending and Talking

As Kaede returned to the side of her new patient, she felt as though a sixth sense was awakened within her. She did not understand how or why. She simply knew this young woman and Kagome were destined for greatness. She was also suddenly aware that great sorrow would also be theirs to share.

Deep within her spirit, Kyuubi saw his container floating in the water before its cage. He hated to see this ningen in such a state. At first, it was because of his status as the Demon Fox. By now, he had grown to care for this female pup in which the Fourth Hokage had sealed him. He bared his teeth at the thought. 'If you could see what those vile weaklings have done to this child, Hokage, you would regret ever sealing me in her. They have tried to kill her too many times. I will not let her be hurt so again.'  
"You will not have a choice this time either," said a new voice.  
Kyuubi stopped pacing. He did not believe he was hearing right. Slowly, he turned toward the voice. He stared. Then he shook his head before slapping himself twice.  
The speaker just smiled. She moved forward and then she was right beside him. Reaching out a hand, she watched as the fox fur vanished only to be replaced by the form of a tall human male. She smiled and said, "That is better. Your fox form is wonderful. However, it is not what I want to see just now."  
"You wound me, Zainyo" purred Kyuubi. His human form was not the most comfortable. Despite that, this form allowed him to hug his goddess close. That for him made the discomfort fade from thought. Now his human arms slipped around her shoulders. Then he stilled.  
Zainyo relaxed in her love's arms. She made a soft sound of contentment. One of her hands snaked up his arm to stroke his cheek. Her blue eyes were closed even as she raised the hand that held the Shikon Jewel and the hand that held a bow.  
"Your container is a very special girl."  
Kyuubi sniffed with an affronted air. "As if I need to be told that."  
Zainyo said nothing for a minute. Then her eyes opened and she said," The path Destiny has had her walk is but a stretch that will be round the bend. For a time, her path will be straight. Destiny's path for her will lead Sayuri to the place where she will become the Shiko Iris. You must let her walk it."  
"Why would I keep her from doing so?"  
"Kurama, you were given that leadership position you have because you tried to always act as was better for others." Here Zainyo paused. Pulling back slightly, she raised her eyes to his.  
Looking down into her deep blue eyes, Kyuubi found himself expereincing the sinking. He had heard others speak of looking into her eyes during moments of revealing. They found themselves sinking into her eyes and then they would watch whatever was being revealed. He had not disbelieved this. He just counted these reports as exaggerated accounts. Now he found himself experiencing just what the others had.  
Zainyo said nothing. She could not. Times like this rendered her silent.  
Kyuubi watched helplessly as his kit relived some of what had been done to her in the past. He watched helplessly as this inu hanyou dared to rape her. Not once, not twice but thrice. Then he saw her meet a true form. This astounded him. This had happened once before. It was he that had brought the warrior humans and certain others here to keep the youkai and humans balanced. This demon had been just, honorable, respected by humans and demons alike. Just before his death, the seer had summoned the four young lords and spoke to them of two that were one and yet, two. He then saw his container birth three pups. He felt joy flood her brilliant soul. He saw the old warhawk Danzou come and try to reclaim her as the village pet. He saw the true form kill him and the jounin with him. He saw his kind take her in. He saw them acknowledge her just as they should. There were many other scenes that he saw. Each time Sayuri made a choice, it had an effect beyond what most could see.  
Zainyo pulled away and then fell to her knees. As always, this left her weakened.  
Kyuubi shook his head and blinked his eyes. Then he knelt and gently brought Zainyo backward so her head lay in the crook of his left arm. Then he stood and looking ahead of him, created a comfortable chair just by thinking about it. Walking toward it, he sat with his goddess in his arms as he had seen the Fourth hold his wife.  
Zainyo snuggled close. "How I have longed for this day. For so long, I wished you were here to hold me like this."  
"And I will. As often and as long as you wish." Then Kyuubi asked, "Did you give Sayuri a portion of your gift?"  
"Yes. Sayuri has many roles to play. She has need of my gifts. The music within her heart is waiting to be spread as if it were blanket. Though I hold the Shikon Jewel, it is to be given to Kagome. There is a spell that can recreate it. The second one goes to the Shikon Iris who is herself a jewel, pure and powerful. The bow she holds is physical. This one shoots the purifying arrows as does Kagome's. Sayuri's bow is also that of her mouth. The truth of her words piercing through a situation and into the heart. Her eyes ,which also see, is needed," answered Zainyo. 


	6. Identified

Outside of Sayuri's soul, the unconscious young woman was being tended to by kind-hearted Kaede and two girls of the village. They were sisters: Reika and Saki. Reika was soon to wed. Her betrothed was from the nearest ninja village. A strong warrior, he had chosen Reika for her gentle spirit and her father had been proud to betroth her to such a man.  
Both were glad to see her preparing for marriage as she was. By learning from Kaede, Reika could act as healer when needed. By helping tend the sick and even by helping Kaede, she was preparing to be a wife and mother. Saki, though too young to be betrothed, would have the skills she too would later use.

Kaede was worried. She had nursed many over the years. This injured young woman was unconscious for reasons she herself did not know. It was now the fifth day since Kagome had left this stranger with her. In all that time, the young woman had not come to. She did not stir nor was there the rise and falling of her chest.  
The door opened and she looked up to see young Reika enter. She was not alone. Behind her stood her betrothed.  
Kaede stood and came forward to greet the youth.  
Reika went to the stranger's side as her betrothed spoke with Kaede for a few minutes. She too was concerned for this female's health. She had learned much from the old miko. Unfortunately, it seemed to not work now.  
The greetings given, the ninja came to his betrothed's side. There he knelt. He looked into the face of Reika's patient and instantly his eyes widened.  
Reika looked up at him and asked, "Is something wrong?"  
"This young woman is like me. Ninja-born and raised. She is stronger than any one in our village."  
Reika was stunned and confused. She looked down at her patient.  
Kaede pulled back the bottom sheet just enough to reveal the black markings Saki had found the previous day. "What is this? Do ye know?"  
Nodding, the ninja said, "That is a very powerful seal. Whoever she is, this kunoichi is definitely strong."  
"She was brought to me badly wounded. Knives and metal bottomed boots have pierced her wrists, ankles and hands. Her back was covered with gashes from whips, floggings and there was strange energy within her," said Kaede.  
"The kunoichi is strong. When she wakes, I would speak with her. She too would be a great asset to the village. The children could learn from her. Maybe a husband could be found or arranged for her."  
Kaede nodded. "When the time is right."


End file.
